Pan de Muertos (Mexican Bread of the Dead)

Recipe View Gather all ingredients and prepare your workspace. (5 minutes)

Recipe View In a saucepan, gently heat the milk and butter over low heat until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and add the warm water, ensuring the mixture is around 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). (10 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, anise seed, yeast, and salt. Beat in the warm milk mixture, then add the beaten eggs and 1 tablespoon of orange zest. Mix until well combined. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Gradually stir in 1/2 cup of flour at a time, continuing to add flour until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic. This should take about 8-10 minutes. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This will take approximately 1 to 2 hours. (120 minutes)

Recipe View Once the dough has doubled, punch it down gently. Shape it into a large, round loaf, and create a round knob on top to represent a skull. You can also add bone shapes made from extra dough. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let it rise again in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour. (60 minutes)

Recipe View Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the bread in the preheated oven until it is golden brown, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. (40 minutes)

Recipe View While the bread is baking, prepare the glaze: Combine 1/4 cup of sugar, orange juice, and 2 teaspoons of orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and let it simmer for 2 minutes. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Once the bread is out of the oven and slightly cooled, brush the glaze generously over the top. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. (5 minutes)